In the Past
by reminiscent-afterthought
Summary: It only took so many words to look back. / 1. Albus Dumbledore, 2. Pomona Sprout, 3. Bathilia Bagshot, 4. Bellatrix Lestrange,
1. Albus Dumbledore

**A/N: **This entire collection is written for the 30 words or less challenge, where each entry under a prompt is a maximum of 30 words. This chapter is also written for the If you Dare Challenge, #948 – weeping angels.

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**In the Past  
1\. Albus Dumbledore**

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1\. Reality Check

He'd been dreaming, about glory and fame. And he'd been too steeped in those dreams to care of the reality that unfolded around him.

If only he'd paid more attention.

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2\. Absolutely Alone

And now he was alone; alone, because he'd been foolish, and blind.

His mother and sister were dead. His brother hating hi

m. His best friend was gone.

Alone…all alone…

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3\. Prince Charming

Gellert had seemed like the perfect boy, the perfect _friend_. He really should have known Prince Charming didn't exist outside of fairy-tales.

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4\. Virgin

Maybe, if he hadn't been so inexperienced and _arrogant_ in the face of the world, he could have saved that childhood.

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5\. Good Question

Why? Why did his dream have to crumble like that?

Being great, that wasn't so bad a thing…was it?

Apparently it was, because it had taken so much and then crashed.

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6\. Can you Hear Me?

Maybe he could have spared himself that – spared them all that – if he'd just listened to his brother. Listened to him say Gellert was bad news.

He'd deafened himself instead.

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7\. I'm Telling

Sometimes, he'd gave in to that little voice in his head, wishing his family gone for the burden they were.

He'd gotten his wish in the worst possible way.

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8\. Out of Control

And his dreams were spiralling away, deforming right in front of his face, showing him what worthless thing he'd cursed his family for.

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9\. I Love You

He'd loved his family. He really did. And it was far too late to show that to them now. Far too late to do anything…except regret.

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10\. Willingness

He would do anything, give anything, to change it all back. But there was nothing tht could mend the past.

There was only the future.


	2. Pomona Sprout

**A/N: **This entire collection is written for the 30 words or less challenge, where each entry under a prompt is a maximum of 30 words. This chapter is also written for the Snakes and Ladders Challenge: Pomona Sprout, and the If you Dare Challenge, 940 – a child's dream.

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**In the Past  
2\. Pomona Sprout**

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11\. Drunk

Everybody said she had a nice drinking face, made nice company. That made her sound masculine, or old.

She'd wanted to be young and the pretty girl.

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12\. Disaster

She couldn't change herself though. She'd tried, and felt absolutely horrible.

That little date – if indeed it could be called that – was a disaster too.

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13\. Turned Off

That wild part scene – it wasn't for her. Bit by bit, she drifted away from it. And eventually, she thought to herself: _I've had enough_.

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14\. Past, Present, Future

She wondered what it was she really wanted. What she'd always wanted. A friend? A lover? A dependent child?

It was the children, she decided; she was wasting her time with the men.

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15\. Dysfunctional

It was pretty crazy of her, trying to get a job with her record. But she managed it. Managed to secure a post at Hogwarts under the Headmaster Dumbledore.

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16\. Men

By then she'd managed to turn herself around, and she was happy. Happy teaching. Happy having that chance to change and stay changed.

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17\. Behind My Back

Sometimes she heard whispers behind her back, about her less than pristine past. But she'd found her happiness, and she didn't plan to let go of it.

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18\. Study Sessions

If someone had told her she'd be teaching when she was back at high school, she would have laughed. But now she loved every moment she spent with her students.

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19\. Cut It Out

Sometimes, she remembered the wild nights where she hadn't fit, or was reminded of them. But she'd shake her head and move on, because she had a better place now.

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20\. Dreamt

It wasn't what she'd dreamt, but it was the job of her dreams nonetheless.


	3. Bathilia Bagshot

**A/N: **This entire collection is written for the 30 words or less challenge, where each entry under a prompt is a maximum of 30 words. This chapter is also written for the If you Dare Challenge, #932 – never ending (truly).

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**In the Past  
3\. Bathilia Bagshot**

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21\. Memories

She had an excellent memory, but there weren't many things from her own life worth remembering. If asked, she'd say she lived a pretty boring life.

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22\. Finish This

What fascinated her though were the lives of the people in the past. And she was always eager to find our as much as she could.

She loathed being interrupted.

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23\. Light

If there was light, she could be found reading though the library's largely unused history texts, jotting down notes and snapping at anyone who bothered her.

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24\. Dark

When she found a dark spot in history's pages, she searched another book for an answer.

It was always disappointing when she failed to find the answer at all.

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25\. Rule Breaking

Sometimes, in her search, she found herself in the Restricted Section, and eventually, she found a way around the protections.

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26\. Holding Hands

She continued her studies after school, never marrying, never forming a family.

Being alone in the past suited her just fine.

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27\. Fearful

She did have some interest in the present though; she was always careful not to shut herself off completely, so as not to become a fossil.

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28\. Honor

She eventually compiled her findings into a book, and it was a honour when that same book crawled onto the school curriculum.

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29\. Transportation

And she dropped by Hogwarts, sometimes, in those younger years, as the library and its stories grew. Sometimes, feeling strangely nostalgic, she'd ride the Express.

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30\. Going in Circles

Eventually, she realised she'd exhausted all the history books she could find, and she put down her quill.


	4. Bellatrix Lestrange

**A/N: **This entire collection is written for the 30 words or less challenge, where each entry under a prompt is a maximum of 30 words. This chapter is also written for the If you Dare Challenge, #005 – that is enough.

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**In the Past  
4\. Bellatrix Lestrange**

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31\. Psychotic

It might have been Azkaban that had stolen her sanity…or maybe it was all the blood that came before that.

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32\. Fake

Either way, the smile she wore on her face was always lustful, desiring blood and pain and destruction – and never quiet and content.

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33\. Amazing

She was surprisingly resilient, especially for a woman. There were few the Dark Lord trusted above her. Maybe no-one.

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34\. Tattered Edges

It didn't matter that her mind was only a few strands tied together. She was strong. She was durable. And that's what mattered.

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35\. Hero

She was the one who'd initiated the plan to flee from Azkaban, who's led the caged followers back into their lord's hands, because no-one else was mad enough to hope.

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36\. In Love

The only person she loved was her lord, and she'd do anything for him. He encouraged that devotion, because it made her all the more useful in his cause.

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37\. Let Me Out

In her years in Azkaban, she'd never stopped searching for a way to unite with her lord. And he had expected that; he waited for her to find the fortress's weakness.

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38\. Sickness

Once free, she craved even more blood, more pain, more of the image of the Dark Lord standing before her. If Azkaban left any despair, she felt it not.

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39\. Rainbow

There were no pretty and sparkling rainbows awaiting her, just a sea of blood. And was what she desired, what kept her alive.

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40\. Dead Tired

She never got tired of the blood that washed her, that had stolen her sanity. Not even when it was her bleeding and adding to that bloodbath.


	5. Charity Burbage

**A/N: **This entire collection is written for the 30 words or less challenge, where each entry under a prompt is a maximum of 30 words. This chapter is also written for the If you Dare Challenge, #024 – feminists.

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**In the Past  
5\. Charity Burbage**

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41\. Wish Upon a Star

She wanted a world where Muggles and Magical folk could live together, could accept each other. That was why she took it upon herself to educate the young wizards.

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42\. Cheating

She felt a little cheated, knowing her class was just an elective – it was so important – but at the same time she was happy so many chose to take it.

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43\. Lurking

She even got a few Slytherins lurking in the corners, pretending they weren't interested. They denied ever being there of course.

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44\. Sunset

The Outsiders was one of her favourite books, and sometimes, she'd look at the sunset and wonder if a Muggle was watching it too.

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45\. Delusional

It was a foolish dream, she sometimes thought, as the war reared its ugly head. It was impossible.

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46\. Damsel in Distress

And it was even more impossible when she was dragged into this warm because of what she taught.

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47\. Never Too Late

It was too late for her; Severus had looked sorry and Draco away, but that was it. But she still clung to hope.

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48\. To Save a Life

No-one could save her. Maybe no-one wanted to save her; she was that insignificant. But the things she'd taught were enough to stir Voldermort into action.

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49\. With All My Heart

With all her heart, she hoped times would change again, towards the dream of Muggles and Magical folk living together.

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50\. Help Me

No-one was going to help her, save her, but, hopefully, her legacy and dream would survive, and live on.


	6. Severus Snape

**A/N: **This entire collection is written for the 30 words or less challenge, where each entry under a prompt is a maximum of 30 words. This chapter is also written for the If you Dare Challenge, #606 – wistful thinking.

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**In the Past  
6\. Severus Snape**

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51\. Not Thinking

He hadn't been thinking at all; that dirt word had just slipped out of his mouth, like it had been painted permanently on his tongue.

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52\. Fine Line

There had always been a fine line between what she could forgive, and what he couldn't. He had crossed it.

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53\. Disease

It was like a disease that had taken root in his brain; he'd flipped the switch, and now it was too late to change.

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54\. Quitting You

They'd been going different ways for a while, but now it was official. He'd destroyed their friendship.

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55\. Nature

Maybe that was his Slytherun nature showing a Mudblood wasn't worthy of him.

Except he'd loved Lily.

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56\. Unfaithful

He'd loved Lily, despite the bad blood that had come between them. And he clung to the hope that she loved him too, and would return.

She loved someone else.

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57\. Attention

James had stolen her heart now; he'd given his rival an opening, and James had seized it with both hands.

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58\. Missing Out

He'd lost her forever, and then he'd facilitated her death unwittingly, by passing the half-heard prophecy on.

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59\. Broken

The only person he'd ever loved was gone. Dead. And he couldn't avenge her, because the blame sat with him.

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60\. Why Not

When Dumbledore asked him to continue as his spy, to protect young Harry, Severus did. Because what else was left, apart from kneeling over to die?


	7. Lucius Malfoy

**A/N: **This entire collection is written for the 30 words or less challenge, where each entry under a prompt is a maximum of 30 words. This chapter is also written for the If you Dare Challenge, #604 – chosen dreams.

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**In the Past  
7\. Lucius Malfoy**

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61\. Classy

Perfection wasn't an easy goal to achieve, especially when the standards were so high, but that was what was expected of him.

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62\. Confident

And he was sure he could reach it, make his esteemed ancestors proud. He was confident in that goal.

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63\. Confusing

Sometimes, he wondered though: perfection was such an inexact thing. What was it his ancestors wanted of him? His parents wanted of him?

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64\. Controlling

Perfection, he decided, was material. Appearance, affluence, influence. Surviving in a world where most died was perfection.

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65\. Don't Leave Me

But even he found love in such a world – love for his family, for which he was willing to sacrifice everything for.

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66\. Different

His ancestors were colder, perhaps. Or maybe the choice had never come before them. It had to him, and he loved his wife and son too much.

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67\. Modesty

Azkaban had taught him how much he'd missed his family…and more besides, that the perfection he sought was worth nothing.

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68\. Home

And his home had changed, become cold and uncomfortable, in the time he took to return to it.

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69\. Believe Me

He wanted to change. He wanted his family to change, and his home.

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70\. Words

But he couldn't say it then, because their lives weren't the price when the Dark Lord ruled.


	8. Peter Pettigrew

**A/N: **This entire collection is written for the 30 words or less challenge, where each entry under a prompt is a maximum of 30 words. This chapter is also written for the If you Dare Challenge, #604 – chosen dreams.

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**In the Past  
8\. Peter Pettigrew**

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71\. Anger Welling

They were supposed to be four, not three and one, and anger welled whenever Peter found himself left out.

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72\. Judgment

Maybe that was what caused him to do foolish things, to try and be the initiator instead of the slave to circumstance. But he was always that, wasn't he?

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73\. Companionship

All he really wanted was friends to belong with. Apparently the Marauders weren't them.

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74\. Left Out

He found himself left out too often with them. Too distant even when they turned back to smile. Not good enough.

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75\. My Life

And it was his life. Why couldn't he choose what to do with it? Why was he such a follower?

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76\. Testing the Limits

Not that that changed, no matter how far he went. And then suddenly, he'd gone too far. He couldn't go back.

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77\. Relief

In a way, it was a relief to die like that. It was his atonement.

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78\. Emotional

Though, by them, the tumbling emotions had died out into a stagnant puddle, and the relief was small and transparent.

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79\. Stubborn

He couldn't turn around before that. Part of him still wanted to belong, to be right.

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80\. Around the Corner

That place he could have really belonged was always out of reach though…or behind the corner he'd passed.


	9. Andromeda Tonks

**A/N: **This entire collection is written for the 30 words or less challenge, where each entry under a prompt is a maximum of 30 words. This chapter is also written for the If you Dare Challenge, #608 – dead loss.

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**In the Past  
9\. Andromeda Tonks**

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81\. I Remember

One war had stripped her of most of her family, and she remembered that most of all in the aftermath.

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82\. Cuts

But as deep as those losses had cut, they also gave her back a sister she'd thought she'd lost forever, and she was grateful for that.

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83\. Fresh

It was a chance for the two siblings to start again, to turn over a new leaf, so to speak.

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84\. Train of Thought

But that wasn't enough to replace her husband and daughter in her thoughts. Not nearly enough.

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85\. The Truth

Not even their child was enough…and sometimes Andromeda is angry that he survived while his parents didn't. But it passes fast.

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86\. Pain

It hurts deep inside, to have lost them all so fast. Them being away from her was different to them being dead.

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87\. Recovery

But she still had family left, and that was enough reason to keep on living.

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88\. Beauty

Because they'd all died for this world, she had to treasure the life she still had left in it.

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89\. Grief

Still, she had to have her time to mourn…

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90\. Background

…away from the smiles of the rest of the world.


	10. Albus Dumbledore (2)

**A/N: **This entire collection is written for the 30 words or less challenge, where each entry under a prompt is a maximum of 30 words. This chapter is also written for the If you Dare Challenge, #622 – guilt.

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**In the Past  
10\. Albus Dumbledore**

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91\. Small World

He didn't think the mistakes of his fat would be so quick to catch up, but they had. And he couldn't run away anymore.

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92\. Go The Distance

He simply had to atone, so he could face them and ask for repentance without shame when he died.

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93\. Run Away

He'd been fleeing from those thoughts, those consequences, long enough.

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94\. Shallow

It had been his fault anyway, and nobody else's. He'd been so narrow-minded, so shallow.

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95\. Shine

He'd been so young then, so brilliant. He'd let the potential go to his head.

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96\. Reach

He had to stop running now. It was too late to save them, but he could save the rest of the world.

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97\. For You

The world his mother never hated despite the reasons it gave her. The world Arianna had, despite herself, thought beautiful.

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98\. Pinky Promise

The world he'd promised himself he'd save back when he thought he could do anything, but still wanted to save despite his limitations.

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99\. Squeaky Clean

He didn't think of purifying it anymore though; he knew how wrong he'd been.

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100\. Dance

He just dearly wished the world hadn't taken so long to show him that truth, that he had to lose everything before he learnt.


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